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Dental & Vision Insurance - Belmont, MA

Maximizing Your Benefits To Help Stick To Your Budget

If you and your family are covered under dental and vision insurance plans, EyeSmile Optometry & Dental Care of Belmont is the ideal place to receive care. Our team wants you to get the most out of your investment in coverage, and we are happy to work with you and file most insurance claims as a courtesy. We also provide in-network coverage, allowing us to offer a variety of additional benefits at the time of service.

Why Choose EyeSmile Optometry & Dental Care of Belmont?

Understanding How Dental & Vision Insurance Works

Man and woman looking at dental and vision insurance information in waiting room

Most dental insurance plans are tailored to encourage and completely cover preventive treatments to help you avoid needing costly, invasive procedures. Each month, you pay a premium that provides you with set coverage. If you have a copay, you’ll need to be prepared to pay this amount at the time of your service. You may also have a deductible that needs to be met before your benefits kick in and cover treatments. If this is the case, it’s a good idea to contact your provider to see if you have met this amount before you schedule any procedures.

Vision insurance works in a similar way as dental. Each month, you’ll pay a premium in exchange for benefits such as covered yearly comprehensive eye exams as well as an allowance for glasses or contacts. Depending on your dental and vision plans, it’s important to know whether you should visit an in-network provider, or if you have out-of-network coverage.

How Insurance Works at the Optometrist

Close-up of a form for vision insurance in Belmont, MA

Vision insurance is usually a supplement to regular health insurance, and as a result many people can get confused on how exactly it works. If there’s anything you don’t understand about your vision insurance plan, one of our team members will be happy to answer your questions. In the meantime, though, you can check out this brief guide to the essential details about vision insurance and how it works when you visit your optometrist.

How is Vision Insurance Different from Medical Insurance?

Older man visiting optometrist for eye exam

What makes differentiating between vision insurance and medical insurance especially confusing is that both can be used to pay for treatments involving your eyes. Health insurance usually kicks in if you’re getting treatment for an existing eye problem, such as an injury, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy. Vision insurance, meanwhile, mainly focuses on routine eye examinations and preventive care. Some plans are more comprehensive than others, though, so you should check with your insurance carrier to figure out the specifics.

Vision Insurance Plans VS Vision Discount Plans

Female patient having her eyes examined

When researching vision insurance, you may also come across vision discount plans, which seem similar on the surface but are actually quite different. Vision discount plans usually come with a lower monthly premium than vision insurance plans, but the tradeoff is that they only give you discounts on examinations, lenses, etc., rather than provide the more extensive coverage that you can only enjoy with vision insurance. In general, it’s better to choose vision insurance if you expect to have regular eye appointments or if you need preventive care or corrective lenses.

Understanding How Your Plan Works

Patient calculating their coverage for vision insurance in Belmont, MA

With vision insurance, you pay a monthly fee called a premium, much as you would for regular medical insurance or dental insurance. In exchange, you receive coverage for eye exams as well as frames, lenses, and/or contacts as you need them. Usually, you’ll need to pay a small fee called a co-pay whenever you use your insurance to pay for one of these services. Note that many plans have a set allowance when it comes to how much they’ll pay for glasses and contacts. Oftentimes, they’ll pay up to a certain amount, and you’ll have to cover the rest out of pocket.

Does Everyone Need Vision Insurance?

Older woman leaning on couch after visiting optometrist in Belmont, MA

Even if you currently have perfect vision, you can still benefit from having a vision insurance plan. As you get older, your eyes will change, and you’ll need to start seeing an optometrist more frequently; as such, vision insurance can help you pay for these visits. It’s also a good idea to invest in vision insurance if you already have poor vision or if you have a family history of eye disease or a condition such as diabetes that could lead to eye disease. Start thinking about how much you’ve spent on vision care in the past few years and what you might need in the future so you can find a vision plan that’s right for you.

What Your Dental & Vision Insurance Plans Cover

Hands holding animated tooth under an umbrella

Before reading on, it’s important to understand that each dental and vision insurance plan varies, so if you have doubts about your coverage, be sure to contact your insurance company directly.

Dental insurance plans typically use the 100-80-50 structure. What this means is that they may cover 100 percent of all preventive treatments, such as checkups and cleanings, while only covering 80 or 50 percent of more costly and invasive restorative procedures, such as root canal therapy or dentures. They aim to encourage patients to take care of small oral health problems before they turn into larger, more severe situations down the road.

Bare-boned vision insurance plans typically cover a comprehensive annual eye exam as well as an allowance for glasses or contacts. These are usually treated more like discount plans than insurance. More comprehensive plans may include coverage for eye surgery and other treatments as well.

Our In-Network PPO Dental Insurance Providers

Woman in dental chair smiling

At EyeSmile Optometry & Dental Care of Belmont, we are in-network with a number of dental insurance plans, some of which we’ve listed below. For a complete list, you can always contact our dental and optometry office directly. This allows us to negotiate fees with your insurance company and pass on additional savings to you, to keep money in your pocket.

Our In-Network PPO Vision Insurance Providers

Young patient receiving an eye exam

Similar to being in-network with dental insurance companies, being in-network with vision insurance companies also allows us to provide treatments and care for a discounted price. When you visit an in-network provider like us, you won’t have to worry about submitting a claim, because your insurance company will take care of that for you! Some companies even offer steep discounts on prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses as well.